Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has condemned the idea of denying the Igbo people the opportunity to lead Nigeria due to past secession attempts, calling it unfair and unjust. Obasanjo made these remarks during a meeting with the League of Northern Democrats, led by former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta.
Obasanjo expressed his deep concerns over the continuous exclusion of the Igbo from the presidency, arguing that all major ethnic groups in Nigeria have, at one point, attempted to secede from the country.
Obasanjo was critical of the reasoning behind the exclusion of the Igbo people from Nigeria’s highest office, particularly the argument that their involvement in the Biafra secession attempt during the Nigerian Civil War disqualifies them from leading the nation.
He described this logic as unjust, pointing out that Nigeria’s three major ethnic groups – the Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba, and Igbo – have all, at different points in history, shown signs of breaking away from the federation.
“It bleeds my heart when people say because the Igbo had carried out a secession, an Igbo man cannot be the president of Nigeria,” Obasanjo said.
He firmly rejected this idea, saying that no single region in Nigeria is innocent when it comes to secession attempts.
“I say, what nonsense? There is no section of Nigeria that has not planned a secession.”
In a candid revelation, Obasanjo shared how even the northern region, which is often seen as a central force in Nigerian unity, once plotted to secede through what is known as the *Araba* movement. This movement took place after the assassination of key northern political figures in 1966, which sparked intense ethnic and regional tensions.
Obasanjo explained that his close friend, Ahmed Jooda, had admitted to being part of the movement that sought to break up Nigeria in the wake of those events.
“What is ‘Araba’ in the North? The North planned to break up Nigeria,” Obasanjo said.
His comments are a stark reminder that all regions in Nigeria have, at some point, harbored thoughts of separation, often driven by political, ethnic, or economic frustrations. He emphasized that this shared history should not be used as a basis for excluding any group from national leadership.
“So, who among us can say I am better than the other? None!” he declared.
His call for unity is timely, as Nigeria continues to struggle with ethnic and regional divisions that threaten its stability and progress. Obasanjo’s message was clear: the past should not be used as a weapon to deny the Igbo or any other group their rightful place in Nigeria’s political leadership.
“We must put our heads together and build a country together,” he urged.
Obasanjo’s comments highlight Nigeria’s long history of regional tensions and secession attempts. The most famous of these is the Biafra secession, which led to the Nigerian Civil War from 1967 to 1970. During this period, the southeastern region, predominantly inhabited by the Igbo, attempted to break away from Nigeria and form an independent state, citing marginalization and ethnic violence as key reasons.
The war, which resulted in significant loss of life and economic devastation, ended with the defeat of Biafra and the reintegration of the region into Nigeria. However, the scars of the conflict remain, and the memory of Biafra has continued to shape political discourse in the country.
In the North, the Araba movement was a response to the 1966 coup, which saw the assassination of several northern leaders, including Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and Northern Premier Sir Ahmadu Bello. The killings, which were perceived to be ethnically motivated, led to a strong push for the North to secede from Nigeria. However, the movement was eventually abandoned, and efforts were made to keep the country united.
The Yoruba, too, have had their moments of regional agitation, most notably through the activities of groups like the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), which has called for greater autonomy and, at times, outright secession for the southwestern region.
These instances of secessionist movements illustrate the shared struggles across Nigeria’s major regions. Obasanjo’s argument is that no group can claim innocence, and therefore, no group should be punished for its past.
